Pay It Forward: Members of Ohio State Football Team Spend Day Giving Back on Eve of Thanksgiving

Ohio State is just three days away from playing its biggest game of the season, but that didn't stop some members of the Buckeyes from taking time out of their day Wednesday to give back to the community.

An estimated 75 members of the football team visited two LifeCare Alliance facilities in Columbus to pack food boxes and make meals-on-wheels for those in need.

"There are people that are less fortunate than us, so just being able to help them out in any way we can," Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett said. "It's not even about Ohio State football players, just people in general, trying to help out the less fortunate."

Offensive players were primarily at one location while defensive players went to the other. A school spokesman with the defensive group estimated over 1,000 meals were prepared by the Buckeyes in the hour they were there.

Ohio State quarterback JT Barrett on what it means to give back to the community: pic.twitter.com/aqQMWsRzyb

— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) November 23, 2016

"It's just a chance for us to get out in the community and do what we talk about all the time and that's giving back," said safety Jarrod Barnes. "It's a chance for come out to LifeCare Alliance, a place that doesn't take a day off and works 365 days a year, to just ease their burden and truly just do the little things that we don't always think about. It's a great opportunity for us to give back."

Ohio State hosts Michigan at noon Saturday in the biggest game in a decade for this storied rivalry. On Wednesday afternoon, however, it took a back seat so the Buckeyes could give back to the community.

"It's never too much out of your day," offensive lineman Matthew Burrell said, "to give back to people who aren't as fortunate as you."